Wrong-way crash kills 2 drivers; officer injured at scene

BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. (AP) — Police say two people have died and a third has been critically injured in a wrong-way crash on Long Island.

It happened around 4 a.m. Sunday in Brookhaven.

Suffolk County police say 23-year-old Kevin Melgar, of Brentwood, was driving a sedan eastbound in the westbound lanes of Sunrise Highway when he crashed into a van.

Police say Melgar and the van’s driver, Ozcan Ayyidiz, were killed. A passenger in the van was critically wounded.

A Suffolk County police officer was also injured at the crash scene after a street sweeper careened through a road barrier and crashed into the back of his police car. The officer was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police say the driver of the street sweeper fell asleep at the wheel. He was issued several traffic citations.

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This story has been corrected to say that the car was going eastbound in westbound lanes.